


8 academy days (Maids)

by ifreet



Series: ficmas [9]
Category: Star Trek 2009
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2010-01-01
Updated: 2010-01-01
Packaged: 2017-10-12 09:42:25
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 649
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/123527
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ifreet/pseuds/ifreet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>umbrella_half asked for Kirk/McCoy, long words.  Finally, an excuse to cite Anne Fadiman's essay "The Joy of Sesquipedalians," from which I swiped most of the long words and their definitions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	8 academy days (Maids)

**Author's Note:**

  * For [umbrella_half](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=umbrella_half).



"Go away," Bones muttered darkly. "I'm studying."

"I haven't even --"

"It's late in the evening on a Friday," he said, attention firmly fixed upon the PADD before him. "You were going to ask, then cajole, wheedle and possibly beg me to go along with you to whatever horrible dive you've most recently discovered, so that you can hit on women without looking like a friendless creep. But you'll have to find another victim, because I've got a xenophysiology exam Monday."

Judging from Fei's description, 'dive' probably wasn't an inaccurate assessment of Cimentos, and sure, he could probably find someone else to drink with, but that wasn't the point. He wanted _Bones_ , since he'd barely seen him in ages. Maybe a little wheedling was in order.

"Physiology? You're already a doctor; that's going to be a cake walk."

"No, it's not." Bones relented just long enough to meet Jim's eyes. "Some of us don't have your memory, and I haven't had to review most of this stuff in years. My practice consisted primarily of humans."

"You know, sometimes a break lets the material sink in." Bones gave him a distinctly unimpressed look. "Ok, then I'll help you study." Jim plucked the PADD away and dodged the rather half-hearted grab. He glanced at the screen and grimaced. "Retromingent? I did not need to know that."

"So give me back--" He cut himself off, looking puzzled. "You know that word?"

Jim shrugged. "I like sesquipedalians." He'd always collected the sort of words that twist and roll off the tongue, and he rarely forgot them. He turned his attention back to the PADD and scrolled up. "So, is the test over all humanoid hemocyanins, or just these guys?"

"All, but I should be all right on Vulcans and Romulans," he replied distractedly. "Sesquipe-what?"

"Long words. Sesquipedalians. I like long, hard words." Jim loaded the sentence with his best leer, and Bones blinked first.

"Fine, you can help."

"Oh, _thank_ you," Jim replied semi-sarcastically -- but started reading aloud before the reactionary bitching could begin.

***

Over the ensuing hours of study, Jim made himself comfortable by sprawling across one of the beds, while Bones slouched further and further into his chair. Jim shifted on his stomach again. Out of the corner of his eye, he watched Bones' reaction: the darting look, the licked lip and then the oh-so-casually crossed legs which just coincidentally blocked out any interesting view.

Jim sighed and read the next vocabulary word. Bones started rattling off the definition, and this was a pointless exercise. Bones _knew_ the material forwards and backwards. The constant drilling couldn't possibly be helping at this point. What he really needed to do was get his mind off it for awhile so he didn't burn out. Or just get off. Jim hid a smile. He could get behind that plan.

Bones finished his recitation, practically word for word the definition given on screen. He looked at the next word on the list. "Ithyphallic," he said instead.

"Having an erect-- Jim!"

"Or an erect Bones. Pretty sure the term is generic."

Bones gaped at him, seemingly caught between appalled and amused. Jim got that a lot. He didn't mind; he could usually make it work for him.

He rolled onto his side and patted the bed. "Why don't you give the brain a rest for a bit?"

Bones took another darting glance, poorly hidden, but he still hesitated.

Jim faked another look at the display. "Adapertile."

Bones immediately frowned. "What's that one?"

"Me." He tossed the PADD to Bones, who caught it with a scowl over the mistreatment. Like Bones would have let it drop. He watched as Bones performed a dictionary search for the word and looked up, eyebrows raised. Jim just smiled and raised his own eyebrows in return.

Bones set the PADD on the desk. "I suppose a break couldn't hurt."

  
Adapertile -- adj. Easily openable.

 


End file.
